00:08 17/10/2009 MOSCOW, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Brunei intend to develop military and energy cooperation, the countries said in a joint statement on Friday after Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's visit.

During the week, Bolkiah met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, as well as officials from Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport for discussions on the possibility of future arms purchases.

"It was noted that military sphere is a promising direction. The sides spoke in favor of signing a military cooperation agreement after concluding ongoing negotiations," the statement said.

The countries also intend to "step up cooperation" in the energy sector.

The two countries also agreed to step up trade, economic and investment cooperation. Analysts say Russia's trade with the southeast Asian nation could increase to $50-75 million over the coming three to five years. Last year it was worth $802,700 with Russian exports at $801,900 and imports at a mere $800.

The joint statement also said Russia and Brunei "decisively condemn and reject terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," and support the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

Bolkiah invited Medvedev to visit Brunei. "The invitation was accepted with gratitude. The date of the visit will be coordinated through diplomatic channels," the statement said.

This is a very good move that Russia is approaching and deepening its reach in the Southeast. Southeast is a critical location where Russian arms and energy agreements can economically bring back its world power status again since the days of USSR. In my opinion, there should be bi-annual Russia-Vietnam-India trade summits held, Vietnam being one of the leading countries of the region.Intense Russian involvement in Southeast would also come as a relief to the lesser prominent Southeast countries like Cambodia, Laos, Burma (and even Thailand), that are over-dependent on China's grace and totally tied down.

The signing of agreements between Russia and Bangladesh is a solid step forward in promoting bilateral relations, President Vladimir Putin said at the talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Moscow on Tuesday.

According to Putin, the two countries have established warm relations.

The fulfillment of economic contracts is gaining momentum. In 2012, the growth was more than 20 percent, Putin said.

After the talks, Russia and Bangladesh are expected to sign 11 agreements, including an agreement on grating a 500 million-dollar-loan to build a nuclear power station in Bangladesh.

Putin meets with Bangladesh PM to sign a package of deals

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he pinned a lot of hope on the package of agreements that would be signed today during his meeting with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“Ahead of your visit, our colleagues put together a package of accords and contracts that will advance cooperation between the two countries,” Mr. Putin said as he greeted the Bangladeshi premier.

The talks are expected to culminate in the adoption of eleven bilateral agreements, including the one on the settling of Bangladesh’s debt to Russia and a $500-million loan to build a nuclear power station in Bangladesh.

President Putin praised positive dynamics in economic relations between the two nations. He pointed out that mutual trade turnover scaled up by over 60% in 2011 and by further 20% in 2012.Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_01_15/Agreements-between-Russia-and-Bangladesh-promote-bilateral-relations/

“We never stopped, but we want to engage more actively,” Deputy Head of Russian Federal Agency for Cooperation with Foreign Countries Alexander Chesnokov says.

Russian ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Nikolaev said on Friday the relations between the two countries were experiencing “a renaissance now”.

He added that “Russia is coming back to Bangladesh, ‘seriously’ and ‘for long time’.

The ambassador's effusive remark was made in the presence of the Deputy Head of Russian Federal Agency for Cooperation with Foreign Countries (Rossotrudnichestvo), Alexander Chesnokov, currently in Dhaka.

Chesnokov is here on a visit to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Russian Centre of Science & Culture in the city.

The ambassador told journalists that Russian culture and its people's friendliness were his country's “power”. “And it (culture) has enormous importance.”

Russia-Bangladesh relations began in 1971 when the then Soviet Union stood by the side of Bangladesh’s freedom fighters in their struggle against Pakistan.

Bangladesh was born after a nine-month war and the erstwhile Soviet Union had extended its support to the newborn country at the UN in 1971.

It also helped Bangladesh to restore and develop its war-ravaged economy.

The Cultural Centre was set up in 1974, encouraging many Bangladeshis, students in particular, to visit the Soviet Union.

Russian books and cinema became popular among Bangladeshi readers and cine goers.

The Soviet Union broke up in 1991, leaving Russia without its union of socialist republics.

In a period of Russia's own transition, the Culture Centre had stymied owing to a lack of diversity and modernisation.

“We never stopped, but we want to engage more actively,” Deputy Head Chesnokov said. “This centre acts a bridge between Russia and a foreign country.”

There are more than 80 such centres across the world and at least another 20 will be added soon.

Chesnokov said they would modernise the Dhaka centre, connecting its library with Moscow’s national library and national museum, enabling Bangladesh’s new generation learn a great deal about Russia from Dhaka.

“It’ll also foster their interest in visiting Russia,” he said.

“We have a strong alumni group. Now we are focusing on the young generation,” he said.

Last year, a group of Dhaka University students had gone to Russia, and more students will be on a visit this year, he said.

Last year, 47 Bangladeshi students had enrolled in different Russian universities. This year the number was expected to cross 60, he said.

Young professionals from various fields, aged between 20 and 35 years, would also be invited.

“It will be the ‘first step’ in further strengthening our relationship,” he said.

The ties between the two countries have not always been close because of Bangladesh’s own political transition.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Moscow in January last year was the first by a Bangladeshi head of government since Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s visit of the erstwhile Soviet Union in April 1972.

The ambassador attributed the "cool" relationship to a “series of events” in between without elaborating.

The transition in Russia was difficult, too, he said, referring to the period following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

“And that’s why our presence has not been felt in South Asia,” he added.

He said when he came to Dhaka two years ago he had faced a barrage of questions like: “Where are Russian books? Where are Russian films? Where’re Russian documentaries, where are your actors? Moscow circus?”

“It gave me new hope,” he said.

Deals were signed during Hasina's visit to Moscow on the Rooppur nuclear power plant, to be built in northern Pabna. The plant will add a generation capacity of 1000MW to a country that is badly power-starved.

Russia has a history of contributing to Bangladesh’s power sector. The thermal power plants at Siddhirganj and Ghorasal, commissioned in the mid 1970s, still produce a major share of the country's total power output.

Two oldest blocks of Ghorasal have been recently modernized by a Russian engineering company.

The bilateral trade also grew after Hasina’s visit.

The two-way trade, which touched $700 million last year, would cross $1 billion next year, the ambassador hoped.

He said they would extend their support in all areas of bilateral cooperation, with politics topping the list.

“Russia will support Bangladesh at the UN on every point,” he stressed.“Our foreign policy has shifted from a bi-polar mindset to a multi-polar concept. We are following UN standards. We do not impose our own views to other countries. We show respect for a country’s internal affairs”.“And our relationship with Bangladesh will be based on cooperation and respect,” he said.

He, however, urged the media to gather their information about Russia from the “main source”.

“Don’t publish one-sided news. Try to look at multi-sided sources,” he said in an oblique reference to recent coverage of Russia’s 'annexation' of Crimea that President Vladimir Putin has described as “reunification”.

The ambassador said he noted that Bangladesh media without keeping its journalists in overseas countries were covering stories following foreign media, mostly British and American.

Russia and Bangladesh have initialed the construction contract for the Ruppur Nuclear Power Plant in the South Asian country.

Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, said the contract was initialed during an official visit to Dhaka by a Russian delegation.

In the course of the visit, Rosatom deputy CEO Nikolai Spassky held negotiations with Bangladesh's Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman. They agreed that Bangladesh would expedite documents for contracts on the preparatory phase.

Contracts have now been signed to conduct surveys and planning for the plant. The construction contract is the third and it calls for setting up an engineering base at the NPP site and arranging for construction and installation work to the 'first concrete.'

Spassky was quoted as saying that "work of the preparatory period is now being done, which is scheduled for completion in 2016. After this, work will begin on the main phase of construction, which according to practice takes five to six years. This is the standard work schedule. The Russian side plans to launch the Ruppur NPP in the early 2020s in line with the previously planned schedule."

He also said that a representative of Rosatom subsidiary Atomstroyexport (ASE) has been in Bangladesh since last October to handle business issues, and a representative of Rosatom began working at the Russian embassy in Dhaka in April. ASE plans to open an office at Ruppur NPP, which is located on the eastern bank of the Ganges River, 160 km from the capital of Dhaka, in 2014.

Valery Limarenko, the head of NIAEP-ASE, another Rosatom division, told reporters at the beginning of April that the third contract on the Ruppur NPP was expected to be signed in May. "Negotiations are now being held on the third contract - for building the construction engineering base," he said.

"We expect that in the next few months the contract will be signed and processed accordingly in our Finance Ministry in order to open a credit line," Limarenko said.

It was reported earlier that Russia has decided to extend a soft loan of $500 million to Bangladesh. Russia might also decide in 2015 to extend a new soft loan to the country. Such a plant with capacity of more than 2,000 MW could cost about $10 billion.

Rosatom began work on the Ruppur plant in Bangladesh in the fall of 2013. Russia will design, built and launch two 1,000-MW generating units with VVER reactors at Ruppur, as well as build infrastructure.

Bangledesh will not suppory any sanction against Russia. It seems that in recent days/years, Bangledesh is becoming warmer towards Russia, possibly because of ties they have with India.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/756693

Bangledesh is a growing economy and has a relitively high population. This can be prrime opportunity for companies like Avtovaz to sell cheaper automobiles in Bangledesh. Agriculture and construction are big parts of bangledesh economy so also setting up a spare parts plant and a service center for agriculture machinery and construction equipment, may give Russian companoes an edge in these markets.

Unfortunately, Russian enterprises are not very good at being agressive salesmen.

An old article but Myanmar remains a possible country for deals and influence for Russia

Russia's Challenge to the US in Southeast Asia. Growing Russian involvement in Myanmar could pose a strategic risk for Washington

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, previously known as Burma, has been described as a potential geopolitical flashpoint between China and India, as well as fertile ground for US psychological warfare. Now another global power -Russia- is slowly edging its way into Myanmar’s geopolitical array. Specifically, defense and security ties between Myanmar and Russia are increasing at a steady pace.

Recent Russian actions, combined with a relative lack of American engagement in Southeast Asia, point to yet another potential geopolitical sore spot for the US. Until the declared “pivot” or rebalancing toward Asia by the US produces real substance, Washington still risks losing its optimal geopolitical strength in the region.

In addition to Russia’s continued foreign policy ambition of re-asserting its power in the post-Soviet space, Russia under Vladimir Putin has also enacted a strategy of courting key allies in regions well away from Russia’s immediate vicinity, where it could extend its geopolitical leverage, form solid business relationships (particularly in the energy and arms fields), and counter the influence of the United States.

Two strong examples of this trend are Syria and Venezuela, countries which Russia has used to gain a strategic foothold in the Middle East and Latin America, respectively. Now Russia seems to be doing this in Myanmar, which gives Russia a three-pronged geopolitical thrust- into the Indian Subcontinent, the Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asia.

Post-Soviet Russia has been heavily engaged in Southeast Asia, in contrast to the United States. Although US President Barack Obama has declared his “pivot” toward Asia, a vast amount of US resources are still vested in the War on Terror and its main battlegrounds in the Middle East and Central Asia. The US of late has missed several ASEAN summits, whereas Russia, on the other hand, has been actively engaged with the organization since 1991, and was made a full-scale dialogue partner with ASEAN in 1996. Bilateral ASEAN-Russia summits were held in 2005 and in 2010.

It seems, however, that the United States has come to realize the risks as well as opportunities inherent in greater engagement with Southeast Asia, and Myanmar in particular. In November, 2012, President Obama announced his intention to hold an annual summit with ASEAN, so it seems the need for greater American engagement in Southeast Asia is not lost on the president. Around that same time, Mr. Obama visited Myanmar itself (a first for any sitting US president). While these actions have been taken in the context of geopolitical tensions between China and the US, the less-developed but ever-growing Russian presence cannot be ignored.

Sometimes Russian actions are taken not to merely counter US influence, but to outright thwart and frustrate US national interests, exemplified most notably in Russian intransigence over Syria. In a similar vein to recent actions on Syria, China and Russia both refused to approve a UN resolution on human rights in Myanmar in 2007.

Traditionally, Russia’s greatest ally in Southeast Asia has been Vietnam, based (in the past) on both a shared Communist government as well as mutual distrust of China in light of the Sino-Soviet Split and, in the case of Vietnam, deep-rooted historic suspicions of China. Vietnam’s ties to the US, however, have grown consistently warmer since US President Bill Clinton opened up relations starting in 1995.

Myanmar, on the other hand, was largely isolationist after the establishment of the military government in 1962, although the country had a relatively strong friend in China since the 1970’s. What makes this web of relations different from the case of Vietnam, however, is that the state of affairs between China and Russia has been very different lately than it had been since the mid-1960’s, and while some problems between the two countries still abide, many foreign policy analysts now speak of a growing China-Russia axis.

As Myanmar’s defense ties with Russia continue to grow, Myanmar could eventually represent a key strategic state in Southeast Asia where both Russia and China (insofar as their own respective national interests permit) can take complimentary or even collaborative foreign policy actions to counter US pursuits in the region, thus posing a risk to geopolitical stability in Southeast Asia as well as the Indian Ocean.

The first major development in Russian assistance to Myanmar was the 2007 announcement that Russia would assist in the development of a light water nuclear reactor. Military and defense ties between Myanmar and Russia continue in earnest. In 2013, the Burmese army’s commander-in-chief, Min Augung Hlayn and Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu met twice to discuss deepening defense relations between the two countries. In light of the second meeting, Shoigu was quoted by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS as saying “The meeting shows a great potential for Burmese-Russian cooperation” and that “I’m pleased to note the activation of bilateral relations in the military realm.”

In November 2013, three Russian Navy ships made a six-day port call to Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, the first ever by Russian warships in the modern era and an event that could set the tone for later joint military exercises. Even before these meetings, Myanmar-Russia military ties were strong as it has been common for Burmese military officers to spend a few years in Russia to study (a Russian-language school for Burmese military officers will soon open in the country, allowing students to achieve a professional working proficiency in Russian before moving to Russia for training).

In addition to allowing Russia greater geopolitical thrust into Southeast Asia, a strategic Myanmar-Russia relationship also gives the latter country a stronger hand in the Strait of Malacca, one of the key shipping lanes in the region. If the proposed Trans-Afghanistan pipeline, which is supposed to bring Caspian Sea energy all the way down to India, is completed, India could potentially sell some of this energy to customers in Asia, but such an endeavor could face a political risk if Russia sought to thwart energy shipments through the Strait that did not meet its own national interests.

A more assertive Russia has proven to be a source of instability in various regions and in particular a source of consternation for the United States. The US would do well to watch and react appropriately to Russia’s developing ties with Myanmar, lest a situation detrimental to US interests take root in this most critical part of the globe.

PHNOM PENH, November 23. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is completing his Asian tour with a visit to Cambodia, where he arrived on Sunday, the government press service reported.

Medvedev, who will be in Cambodia until November 24, is expected to hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen and meet with King Norodom Sihamoni. A number of bilateral documents are to be signed following the talks.

Russian Security Council Chief Arrives in Singapore for Security Talks

Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev arrived in Singapore on Monday for talks on regional and international security, the Council's press service said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The senior Russian security official is expected to hold consultations with local security experts, before moving on to Vietnam as part of his two-day Southeast Asia trip, Patrushev's spokesman Yevgeny Anoshin told RIA Novosti.

In February, Patrushev went to Indonesia and Thailand for a four-day visit to boost cooperation with the the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Law and Security and the National Security Council of Thailand respectively.

The Security Council, chaired by the Russian president, drafts policy proposals on defending Russia's vital interests of individuals and the state against internal or external threats.